Oak Bay, White Rock, and more make our list of BC best retirement spots

Retiring in BC? Here are OUR choices for stunning spots to retire on the West Coast

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When it comes to retirement, it’s all about the location. That’s why we rounded up our top spots in BC where we would retire if given the choice and to maybe no one’s surprise, they are all oceanside.

We felt compelled to make our own list after two other lists named some spots that had us raising our eyebrows.

Travel + Leisure rounded up its top spots, considering factors like housing costs, healthcare, weather, lifestyle, culture, and more in all 10 Canadian provinces and West Kelowna and Prince George were named for BC’s offerings, as they were top for their picturesque natural landscapes and overall scenery.

Plus, Sotheby’s International Realty also named several BC spots among their list of top places in the country to retire, and the Okanagan Valley and Parksville made that list.

While we agree all those spots have their charms, we couldn’t help thinking of a few places that were looked over on the lists.

Here are three spots WE would choose to retire in.

White Rock

A view of White Rock nestled into the hill in 2015. (Marius M. Grecu/Shutterstock)

This oceanside community is top of our list for several reasons, including its stunning location and more than a dozen retirement homes to rest our weary heads. With about 21,000 residents, nearly a third of them are over 65, according to Statistics Canada’s 2021 Census. Plus, more than half of the women are unmarried, so our chances of finding love at Tim Hortons might be higher than in other spots.

Crowds on White Rock Pier on Friday, March 20, 2020. (puneet_siddy / Instagram)

The city has a small-town vibe with a lot of the offerings of a big city and even has a growing brewery scene. It’s also only about an hour away from Vancouver and shares a border with Surrey, so what we can’t find in White Rock is but a bus (or handydart) ride away. If we can swing the costs of retiring here, we will meet you at the White Spot bright and early.

Oak Bay

Oak Bay Tourism

We couldn’t do this list without naming at least one Vancouver Island location and we chose Oak Bay because it’s a gem of a community and offers three retirement homes within a few blocks, making our dreams of having all of our friends nearby like The Golden Girls a potential reality. Oak Bay Tourism calls it “Victoria’s Seaside Destination” and we are all about the ocean views, fresh seafood, summer night markets, and a place to keep our sailboat for windy days.

Of the 17,000 people who call this spot home, Statistics Canada says 6,000 of them are 65 years and older, making this a great spot to make new friends as well. Our only problem with this spot is that it’s so beautiful that our out-of-town guests might overstay their welcome.

Horseshoe Bay

Nalidsa/Shutterstock

Horseshoe Bay boasts half a dozen senior and assisted living facilities within a small area, and lots of cute coffee shops and restaurants within walking distance, all nestled next to the ocean and en route to Whistler. We could spend our afternoons at nearby Whytecliff Park in West Vancouver, watching the seals play in the marine sanctuary, or even take up scuba diving.

Sébastien Launay/Flickr

While we considered adding popular options like the Gulf Islands to this list, we wanted to avoid drama over necessary ferry rides for healthcare reasons. The nice thing about Horseshoe Bay is that we can hop on a short ferry to the Sunshine Coast and visit friends, or take a day trip to the art studios at Bowen Island, while still enjoying the benefits of living on the mainland and being close to major healthcare centres. The local golf course also offers $25 green fees to seniors, so if we need a break from letting the ocean air wash our cares away, we can head to one of the best nine-hole courses in all of Canada.

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Of course, this is a dream list. According to a new survey, the amount of money millennials believe they will need to retire is $2 million, so maybe some less picturesque locations should be added to our next list. Let us know what you think in the comments.